#orbea

Orbea variegata

Orbea variegata is one of the "carrion flowers", so called because of the stench it emits in order to attract the flies that pollinate it. It is part of a large group known as the stapeliads, long placed in the Asclepiadaceae, or Milkweed Family. Recently, however, all the milkweeds have been re-classified as the subfamily Asclepiadoideae within the Dogbane Family, Apocynaceae. In any case, all the members of this group normally have five-pointed flowers, but the plant pictured is a very rare sport that has put out a 7-pointed bloom. Same foul smell, though! Orbea variegata comes from the southwestern corner of South Africa.